Pann and other police officials hosted more than 40 people, mostly city officials, at an open house Tuesday to show off the base of operations for District 2, which is temporarily on the second floor of the Public Safety Building in space formerly occupied by the Winnebago County Sheriff's Department.

Geographic policing, billed as a potential solution to Rockford's historically high crime rates, is designed to decentralize the Police Department and eventually house police operations in three buildings - one in each district and each with its own commander.

District 2, roughly defined as the Rock River east to Fairview Boulevard, is the first to go into operation.

The hallmark of geographic policing is its approach to solving neighborhood crimes, largely by assigning officers to the same area every day and building relationships with residents and business owners.

To accomplish this, District 2 officers have changed to 12-hour shifts.

"Everyone likes responding to one sergeant," Lt. Darin Spades said. "There is more time to respond to some of the specific issues in the neighborhood. They can get the call on the front end and see it all the way through to a resolution."

District 2 has 64 officers: 32 patrol officers, eight detectives, 14 neighborhood response officers who are a hybrid of community service and tactical officers, seven sergeants, one station officer, one lieutenant and one assistant deputy chief.